Is Obama too far right on immigration for Democrats?

posted at 8:41 am on August 7, 2014 by Noah Rothman

That assertion may strike you as particularly unfounded, especially considering that several news outlets have reported that the White House is considering ways in which it can extend legal status to millions of illegal immigrants by executive order alone and without congressional authorization. But a few experienced Democratic political actors are sending signals that the liberal base voter may think President Barack Obama is too accommodating with Republicans when it comes to immigration issues.

Recently, Vice President Joe Biden offered his thoughts on the border crisis and praised the tenacity of those making the trek north. He commended the spirit of those young migrants crossing the border illegally after entrusting their lives to human traffickers. “In large part, he’s right,” CNN’s John King noted. “It takes a lot of courage to give up your life, wherever you live, to make that journey.”

CNN reporter Peter Hamby offered a fascinating observation – Biden may have been, at least in part, positioning himself within the 2016 field as slightly to the left of the president on immigration issues.

“Biden is a great lagging indicator of the zeitgeist in the Democratic Party right now,” Hamby said. He noted Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley only adopted a softer position on the border crisis in response to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing deportations. “The Democratic base was with O’Malley,” Hamby noted.

It is worth recalling that the White House was largely supportive of a preliminary plan to address the border crisis which included amending a 2008 anti-human trafficking law until strong push back from Democrats in the House forced them to abandon that position.

“Is the only immigration bill we’re going to have one that hurts children?” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on the 16th. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and others lobbied the president personally to rethink his position on the border crisis. In response, the president reportedly promised him that any measure he takes to halt the influx of Central American migrants would be offset by reduced deportations of immigrant families already living in the United States.

Is Biden a “lagging indicator,” as Hamby said, of where the Democratic Party wants to go on immigration? It’s possible.

If, however, Obama goes through with executive action on immigration, the backlash will be significant enough to likely cost Democrats a few otherwise winnable seats in 2014. That will force even the most ideologically committed of liberal politicians to rethink their position on the matter of immigration.

If the president does not move on an executive action to provide undocumented migrants with work permits, Hamby is probably correct. Clinton has a wide open left flank moving into the 2016 primary season, and the candidate best positioned to attack her as insufficiently liberal will be the candidate who consolidates the anti-Hillary Democratic vote. Immigration is just one of a handful of issues that could provide one of Clinton’s challengers with an advantage.

That’s like saying Lenin, Marx, Stalin and Mao were TOO far right. Overriding congress, therefore trampling on the US flag and subverting the Constitution, in order to accommodate illegals , is being too harsh on them?

But a few experienced Democratic political actors are sending signals that the liberal base voter may think President Barack Obama is too accommodating with Republicans when it comes to immigration issues.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That’s funny! He hasn’t accommodated them one iota. He is just waiting to grant amnesty and get all the political points. He’s trashing the rule of law, and the constitution.

But a few experienced Democratic political actors are sending signals that the liberal base voter may think President Barack Obama is too accommodating with Republicans when it comes to immigration issues.

That assertion may strike you as particularly unfounded, especially considering that several news outlets have reported that the White House is considering ways in which it can extend legal status to millions of illegal immigrants by executive order alone and without congressional authorization.

those young migrants crossing the border illegally

the influx of Central American migrants would be offset by reduced deportations of immigrant families already living in the United States.

where the Democratic Party wants to go on immigration?

executive action on immigration

That will force even the most ideologically committed of liberal politicians to rethink their position on the matter of immigration.

If the president does not move on an executive action to provide undocumented migrants with work permits,

Immigration is just one of a handful of issues that could provide one of Clinton’s challengers with an advantage.

Yes, I understand Emerson’s “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds…,” but pick an accurate expression for these lawbreakers and stick with it unless you’re quoting someone. On the issue of illegal immigration, elegant variation is no virtue.

And let’s be clear about something. Perhaps immigration is an overarching issue in the grand scheme of things. But illegal immigration is the specific issue of the day and the specific crisis of the day. I’d like to read posts on a supposedly conservative blog that make that point consistently and with clarity so that the issues of illegal immigration and legal immigration don’t get irresponsibly conflated.

Perhaps you are being cute, but the original headline said “to”. You can see it in the URL since they can’t edit that.

gh on August 7, 2014 at 9:02 AM

furls can be edited, but they are either scared of the slight seo issue it may cause or they have no idea how to actually run the software they use.
if its the second then its probably better they leave the furl alone.

If, however, Obama goes through with executive action on immigration, the backlash will be significant enough to likely cost Democrats a few otherwise winnable seats in 2014. That will force even the most ideologically committed of liberal politicians to rethink their position on the matter of immigration.

What is there to rethink? If Obama does this its over or do you seriously believe that Republicans have the will and/or means to stop or undo it?

For the Democrats in Congress, accurately represented by their wildly nutty leaders Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, Obama is too hard on the illegals. By their lights he should have granted them all a sweeping EO Amnesty back in 2009.

The Democratic Party is completely lunatic. Most of the idiots and fools voting for it don’t have a clue to what they are voting for other than free cheese.

If, however, Obama goes through with executive action on immigration, the backlash will be significant enough to likely cost Democrats a few otherwise winnable seats in 2014. That will force even the most ideologically committed of liberal politicians to rethink their position on the matter of immigration.

No, they will not rethink it. They’ll just lie more about what their actual position is when talking to voters.

. . . . . a few experienced Democratic political actors are sending signals that the liberal base voter may think President Barack Obama is too accommodating with Republicans when it comes to immigration issues.

Noah Rothman on August 7, 2014 at 8:41 AM

.
Who or what exactly is a “liberal base voter” ?

How large of a percentage of the Democrat voters do they make up ?

I’ve already heard of a few persons, whom I would call “Democrat base voters” voicing concern, that Federal money is being diverted from “inner city programs and interests” to aid these illegal invaders.

As a political analyst, Noah Rothman would make an excellent food critic. Can’t Hot Air let him review restaurants, or new TV shows, or something?

“Biden is a great lagging indicator of the zeitgeist in the Democratic Party right now,” Hamby said.

No, Biden is the lagging indicator of Barack Obama. As with gay marriage, Biden signals the base that Obama is not far behind. But he has a thorny path to follow, and the base needs to be patient.

I still believe that Obama is positioning himself somewhat towards the center on immigration as part of a deliberate strategy. I don’t believe he’s going to sign that executive order. This is all about gaining seats in Congress during the mid terms.

Obama’s rhetoric about executive orders serves to remind the base about Congressional gridlock. It gets them wound up. In his eyes, hopefully, they will be wound up enough to turn up at the polls en masse, as in 2012.

Obama, being a lame duck, can take some hits on immigration. He’ll eventually back down on the executive order, claiming that he is restrained by the Constitution (this is happening already). He will broker some sort of fake compromise with the Right that will enable Paul Ryan, John Boehner, and John McCain to claim the border is secure. Then Congress will pass some kind of amnesty legislation.

That being said, if the Democrats take a bath in the mid terms, Obama will sign that executive order. He will have nothing to lose then.

I’ll say now what I said in 2012. The proper Republican strategy vis a vis the Hispanic vote is to suppress it. The Democrat coalition is fragile and fractious. The GOP is never going to pick up enough Hispanic (or African American) votes to matter. But they can convince those voters to stay home. With white voters increasingly solidifying behind the GOP, that will produce wins.

The GOP should run ads everywhere showing how Obama has failed Hispanic (and African American) voters. Don’t even mention the GOP. Just list all the broken promises. God knows there are enough of them. Those voters will never vote for the GOP, but get them mad enough and they just might stay home.

I agree with the sentiment here that it’s ridiculous to think Obama is too far right on anything. However, there are some Dems (i.e., the Elizabeth Warren “populist” wing of the party) who think Obama isn’t far left enough and that he’s been too accommodating with the mean, “obstructionist” Republicans. I think that was the point Noah was getting at.

Crazy, I know, to think Obama has been too far right or accommodating to Republicans in any way. But keep in mind the kind of Dems we’re dealing with. These people thought OCare didn’t go far enough and that we should have gone full-on single payer.

But a few experienced Democratic political actors are sending signals that the liberal base voter may think President Barack Obama is too accommodating with Republicans when it comes to immigration issues.

IMO, the typical liberal base voters aren’t the ones who might think Obama is being too “accomodating” on immigration issues. It’s the *emoprogs* who always think he’s too accommodating on every issue. You know….those ideological purists who detest compromise and/or incremental change, which they only see as “selling out”.
Doesn’t the far, far, far left routinely dismiss Congress’ role in making policy? And believe presidents should simply use the bully pulpit and his executive power in order to overcome constitutional/ legislative roadblocks? Don’t they believe anyone who supports Obama is actually an “enemy” of true liberalism?
I think the fact that the Won is even considering an executive amnesty, shows Obama is considering tacking so far left that he’ll fall off the chart… and would be “accommodating” the looniest of the loony-tunes.

I’ve already heard of a few persons, whom I would call “Democrat base voters” voicing concern, that Federal money is being diverted from “inner city programs and interests” to aid these illegal invaders.

listens2glenn on August 7, 2014 at 9:32 AM

a clash of interest groups.

The inner city hoi polloi begin to awaken to the threat of being discarded for a new more easily manipulated ethnic group.

The new ethnic group imported from the southern hemisphere will take a couple of generations to acclimate and educate to understanding american law and customs.

This buys the entrenched political aristocracy time…and since progressive fascists control both the civil and educational bureaucracies; the education and the law will continue to be manipulated to achieve short term political/economic goals and to dumb down the generations who are accustomed to tyranny,class restrictions/conflict,corruption and cult of personality (monarchy) in their leaders…

IMO, the typical liberal base voters aren’t the ones who might think Obama is being too “accomodating” on immigration issues. It’s the *emoprogs* who always think he’s too accommodating on every issue. You know….those ideological purists who detest compromise and/or incremental change, which they only see as “selling out”.

lynncgb on August 7, 2014 at 10:05 AM

Basically what I was trying to say. But I like your way of expressing it and your “emoprog” label. :)

Basically what I was trying to say. But I like your way of expressing it and your “emoprog” label. :)

chargeradiodan on August 7, 2014 at 10:38 AM

I saw your comment after submitting mine and thought also that we were on the same wavelength.

I actually learned about the “emoprog” label from some pretty far left Obama-loving liberals. Amazingly enough… even they think there is a small faction on the left end of the spectrum that is absolutely cuckoo.

A majority of people in the United States say undocumented immigrants threaten their way of life and even the economy, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday.

Seventy percent said they believe these illegal immigrants threaten U.S. customs and beliefs. Eighty-six percent of Republicans hold that belief.

Nearly two-thirds said illegal immigrants are a burden on the nation’s economy, the poll found.

The survey found 45 percent said the number of immigrants entering the country legally should be reduced while 17 percent said more should be allowed to come. Thirty-eight percent said the current flow of legal immigration should remain the same.

More people in New England oppose illegal immigration compared to the rest of the country, the poll said. Nearly 80 percent of people in that region said undocumented immigrants threaten U.S. beliefs and customs.

Wait, what??? I thought the South was supposed to be the racist, bigoted, xenophobic region!